feat(plans): milestone-as-plan-container; retire kind=plan (T3)

The milestone becomes the plan container: a new nullable milestones.body
holds the design/intent (Goal/Approach/Verification) and individual steps
live as first-class child tasks (milestone_id) instead of checkboxes crammed
into one kind=plan task body. start_planning now creates a MILESTONE seeded
with the body template (not a kind=plan task) and returns it with applicable
rules; a new get_milestone MCP tool reads the plan back (body + steps + rules).

kind=plan is hard-retired going forward — start_planning never creates one.
The 'plan' task_kind enum value stays valid so the 11 historical plan-tasks
remain readable in place; no body-shredding backfill (corpus review showed
auto-splitting their checklists into tasks would be lossy: embedded code
blocks, a non-binary [~] state, tables, ID-encoded hierarchy).

- migration 0066: add milestones.body
- model/service/route/MCP: body passthrough on create+update; get_milestone
- server _INSTRUCTIONS: "plan" = milestone w/ body + child step-tasks
- UI: ProjectView shows/edits a milestone's plan body; start_planning expands
  the new milestone and opens its plan editor
- tests updated to the milestone contract + new body/get_milestone coverage

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

alembic/versions/0066_milestone_body.py

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""milestone-as-plan-container: milestones.body holds the plan/design
+
+Revision ID: 0066
+Revises: 0065
+Create Date: 2026-06-14
+
+T3 of plan #819. The milestone becomes the plan container: its `body` holds
+the design/intent/purpose (markdown), `description` stays the one-liner, and
+individual steps live as first-class child tasks (milestone_id) instead of
+checkboxes crammed into a kind=plan task body. start_planning is reworked to
+create a milestone instead of a kind=plan task (hard retirement going forward;
+the 'plan' task_kind enum value stays valid so the historical plan-tasks are
+left readable in place — no body-shredding backfill).
+
+Schema change is just one nullable column; no data migration.
+"""
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+
+revision = "0066"
+down_revision = "0065"
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    op.add_column("milestones", sa.Column("body", sa.Text(), nullable=True))
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    op.drop_column("milestones", "body")

frontend/src/types/task.ts

@@ -5,8 +5,18 @@ export interface TaskListResponse {
   total: number;
 }
 
+// start_planning now creates a MILESTONE (the plan container), not a kind=plan
+// task. The milestone's `body` holds the design; steps live as child tasks.
 export interface StartPlanningResult {
-  task: import("./note").Note;
+  milestone: {
+    id: number;
+    project_id: number;
+    title: string;
+    description: string | null;
+    body: string | null;
+    status: string;
+    order_index: number;
+  };
   applicable_rules: {
     id: number;
     title: string;

frontend/src/views/ProjectView.vue

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { apiGet, apiPatch, apiDelete, apiPost } from "@/api/client";
 import { useToastStore } from "@/stores/toast";
 import { useTasksStore } from "@/stores/tasks";
 import { relativeTime } from "@/composables/useRelativeTime";
+import { renderMarkdown } from "@/utils/markdown";
 import ShareDialog from "@/components/ShareDialog.vue";
 import ProjectRulesTab from "@/components/rules/ProjectRulesTab.vue";
 import SystemsSection from "@/components/SystemsSection.vue";
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ import {
 interface Milestone {
   id: number;
   title: string;
+  description: string | null;
+  body: string | null;
   status: string;
   order_index: number;
   pct: number;
@@ -77,10 +80,15 @@ async function confirmStartPlanning() {
   if (!title || !project.value) return;
   planningBusy.value = true;
   try {
+    // start_planning creates a MILESTONE (the plan container). Reload milestones,
+    // make sure the new one is expanded, and open its plan editor.
     const result = await tasksStore.startPlanning(project.value.id, title);
     planTitle.value = "";
     showStartPlanning.value = false;
-    router.push(`/tasks/${result.task.id}`);
+    await loadMilestones();
+    collapsedMilestones.value.delete(result.milestone.id);
+    startEditPlan(result.milestone.id, result.milestone.body);
+    toast.show("Plan started");
   } finally {
     planningBusy.value = false;
   }
@@ -225,6 +233,39 @@ async function commitRenameMilestone(ms: Milestone) {
   }
 }
 
+// Plan body editing — a milestone IS the plan; its `body` holds the design.
+const editingPlanId = ref<number | null>(null);
+const editPlanBody = ref("");
+const savingPlan = ref(false);
+
+function startEditPlan(id: number, body: string | null) {
+  editingPlanId.value = id;
+  editPlanBody.value = body ?? "";
+}
+
+function cancelEditPlan() {
+  editingPlanId.value = null;
+  editPlanBody.value = "";
+}
+
+async function commitEditPlan(ms: Milestone) {
+  if (savingPlan.value) return;
+  savingPlan.value = true;
+  try {
+    await apiPatch(`/api/projects/${projectId.value}/milestones/${ms.id}`, {
+      body: editPlanBody.value,
+    });
+    await loadMilestones();
+    editingPlanId.value = null;
+    editPlanBody.value = "";
+    toast.show("Plan saved");
+  } catch {
+    toast.show("Failed to save plan", "error");
+  } finally {
+    savingPlan.value = false;
+  }
+}
+
 async function confirmDeleteMilestone() {
   const ms = deletingMilestone.value;
   if (!ms) return;
@@ -545,6 +586,9 @@ async function confirmDelete() {
                     </div>
                     <span class="ms-pct">{{ group.milestone.pct }}%</span>
                     <div class="ms-actions" @click.stop>
+                      <button class="ms-action-btn" :title="group.milestone.body ? 'Edit plan' : 'Add plan'" @click="startEditPlan(group.milestone.id, group.milestone.body)">
+                        <FileText :size="16" />
+                      </button>
                       <button class="ms-action-btn" title="Rename" @click="startRenameMilestone(group.milestone)">
                         <Pencil :size="16" />
                       </button>
@@ -555,6 +599,31 @@ async function confirmDelete() {
                   </template>
                 </div>
 
+                <!-- Plan body: the milestone IS the plan; design lives here, steps are the tasks below. -->
+                <div
+                  v-if="group.milestone && !collapsedMilestones.has(group.milestone.id) && (editingPlanId === group.milestone.id || group.milestone.body)"
+                  class="ms-plan"
+                >
+                  <template v-if="editingPlanId === group.milestone.id">
+                    <textarea
+                      v-model="editPlanBody"
+                      class="ms-plan-editor"
+                      rows="10"
+                      placeholder="The plan: Goal / Approach / Verification. Track each step as a task below."
+                    ></textarea>
+                    <div class="ms-plan-actions">
+                      <button class="btn-secondary" @click="cancelEditPlan">Cancel</button>
+                      <button class="btn-primary" :disabled="savingPlan" @click="commitEditPlan(group.milestone)">Save plan</button>
+                    </div>
+                  </template>
+                  <div
+                    v-else
+                    class="ms-plan-rendered markdown-body"
+                    @click="startEditPlan(group.milestone.id, group.milestone.body)"
+                    v-html="renderMarkdown(group.milestone.body || '')"
+                  ></div>
+                </div>
+
                 <div v-if="!group.milestone || !collapsedMilestones.has(group.milestone.id)" class="kanban">
                   <!-- Todo column -->
                   <div class="kanban-col col-todo">
@@ -1082,6 +1151,40 @@ async function confirmDelete() {
 .milestone-header.clickable { cursor: pointer; }
 .milestone-header.clickable:hover { background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 4%, var(--color-bg-secondary)); }
 
+/* Plan body: the milestone's design/intent, shown above its task columns. */
+.ms-plan {
+  padding: 0.6rem 0.85rem;
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 3%, var(--color-bg-card));
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+}
+.ms-plan-rendered { font-size: 0.85rem; color: var(--color-text); cursor: text; }
+.ms-plan-rendered:hover { background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 4%, transparent); }
+.ms-plan-editor {
+  width: 100%;
+  font-family: var(--font-mono, monospace);
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  line-height: 1.5;
+  padding: 0.5rem;
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  background: var(--color-bg);
+  color: var(--color-text);
+  resize: vertical;
+  box-sizing: border-box;
+}
+.ms-plan-actions { display: flex; gap: 0.5rem; justify-content: flex-end; margin-top: 0.5rem; }
+.ms-plan-actions .btn-primary,
+.ms-plan-actions .btn-secondary {
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  padding: 0.3rem 0.75rem;
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+}
+.ms-plan-actions .btn-primary { background: var(--color-primary); color: #fff; border-color: var(--color-primary); }
+.ms-plan-actions .btn-primary:disabled { opacity: 0.6; cursor: default; }
+.ms-plan-actions .btn-secondary { background: var(--color-bg-card); color: var(--color-text); }
+
 .ms-chevron { display: flex; align-items: center; color: var(--color-text-muted); flex-shrink: 0; }
 .ms-name { font-weight: 500; color: var(--color-text); flex: 1; min-width: 0; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; }
 .ms-count {

src/scribe/mcp/server.py

@@ -17,14 +17,21 @@ Hierarchy: Project -> Milestone -> Task/Note.
 What each part is for, and when to reach for it:
 - Project: the top-level container for a body of work.
 - Milestone: groups related tasks within a project toward a goal (status
-  active/done). Use one when a chunk of work needs its own arc.
+  active/done). A milestone is ALSO the home of a plan — its `body` holds the
+  design/intent (Goal/Approach/Verification) and its child tasks are the steps.
+  Use one when a chunk of work needs its own arc.
 - Task: a unit of actionable work with a lifecycle (status
   todo/in_progress/done/cancelled, optional priority). A task is a note with a
   status — reach for one when there is something to DO. Record progress over
   time with work-logs (add_task_log) rather than rewriting the body.
-- Plan: a task with kind=plan — HOW you'll execute a chunk of work. The body
-  holds the design + step checklist; work-logs record progress. Start one with
-  start_planning when beginning non-trivial work, before you dive in.
+- Plan: a MILESTONE acting as a plan container — HOW you'll execute a chunk of
+  work. The design/intent lives in the milestone `body`; each step is its own
+  child task (create_task(milestone_id=...)), tracked with status + work-logs —
+  NOT a checkbox buried in the body. Start one with start_planning when
+  beginning non-trivial work, before you dive in; read it back with
+  get_milestone (body + steps). (The old kind=plan task is retired — some
+  historical plan-tasks still exist and remain readable, but don't create new
+  ones.)
 - Note: durable free-form knowledge — reference material, decisions, logs of
   what happened.
   No lifecycle, not actionable. Reach for one to CAPTURE something worth keeping.
@@ -147,14 +154,17 @@ adopting or creating — never do either silently, and never guess a project int
 existence. Once a project is in scope, the enter_project handshake and the
 host-memory pointer step above both apply.
 
-Plans are tasks with kind=plan, and Scribe is the canonical home for them.
-When you begin non-trivial work, call start_planning(project_id, title) FIRST —
-before any brainstorming, design, or plan-writing skill runs. start_planning
-seeds the plan body, returns the project's applicable_rules, and gives you the
-task id you'll write into. If a habit tells you to save a plan or spec to a local
-`.md` file, that's superseded here: put the spec/plan content in the kind=plan
-task's body via update_task, and record progress with add_task_log. Local .md
-files are not the record — the task is.
+A plan is a MILESTONE, and Scribe is the canonical home for it. When you begin
+non-trivial work, call start_planning(project_id, title) FIRST — before any
+brainstorming, design, or plan-writing skill runs. start_planning creates the
+milestone, seeds its `body` with the design template, returns the project's
+applicable_rules, and gives you the milestone id you'll write into. Put the
+design/intent in the milestone body via update_milestone(milestone_id, body=...);
+create each step as a child task with create_task(milestone_id=...) and track it
+with status + add_task_log — do NOT list steps as checkboxes in the body. Read
+the plan back with get_milestone (body + steps). If a habit tells you to save a
+plan or spec to a local `.md` file, that's superseded here: the milestone is the
+record, not a local file.
 
 Deletes are recoverable: every delete_* tool moves the entity (and its
 descendants) to the trash and returns a deleted_batch_id. Use list_trash() to
@@ -180,7 +190,7 @@ operator. "Works for one user" is not done.
 # until explicitly classified here.
 _READ_ONLY_TOOLS = frozenset({
     "get_event", "get_note", "get_project", "get_rule", "get_rulebook",
-    "get_task", "get_recent", "enter_project",
+    "get_task", "get_milestone", "get_recent", "enter_project",
     "list_events", "list_lists", "list_milestones", "list_notes",
     "list_persons", "list_places", "list_projects", "list_rulebooks",
     "list_rules", "list_tags", "list_tasks", "list_topics", "list_trash",

src/scribe/mcp/tools/milestones.py

@@ -13,32 +13,75 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 from scribe.mcp._context import current_user_id
 from scribe.services import milestones as milestones_svc
+from scribe.services import notes as notes_svc
+from scribe.services import rulebooks as rulebooks_svc
 from scribe.services import trash as trash_svc
 
 
 async def list_milestones(project_id: int) -> dict:
     """List milestones for a Scribe project, ordered by order_index.
 
-    Returns id, title, description, status (active/done), order_index,
-    and task counts.
+    Returns id, title, description, body (the plan/design), status
+    (active/done), order_index, and task counts.
     """
     uid = current_user_id()
     rows = await milestones_svc.get_project_milestone_summary(uid, project_id)
     return {"milestones": rows}
 
 
+async def get_milestone(milestone_id: int) -> dict:
+    """Fetch a milestone (the plan container) with its step-tasks and rules.
+
+    A milestone IS a plan: its `body` holds the design/intent, and its steps
+    are the child tasks listed here. Use this to read a plan top-to-bottom —
+    the body for the design, `steps` for the trackable units of work. Mirrors
+    the planning context that start_planning returns (applicable rules), so the
+    rules surface again on recall.
+
+    Returns: milestone (incl. body), progress, steps (its tasks ordered by
+    status then update), and applicable_rules / subscribed_rulebooks.
+    """
+    uid = current_user_id()
+    milestone = await milestones_svc.get_milestone(uid, milestone_id)
+    if milestone is None:
+        raise ValueError(f"milestone {milestone_id} not found")
+    progress = await milestones_svc.get_milestone_progress(milestone_id)
+    steps, _ = await notes_svc.list_notes(
+        uid, is_task=True, milestone_id=milestone_id, sort="status", limit=200,
+    )
+    applicable = await rulebooks_svc.get_applicable_rules(
+        project_id=milestone.project_id, user_id=uid,
+    )
+    out = milestone.to_dict()
+    out.update(progress)
+    return {
+        "milestone": out,
+        "steps": [t.to_dict() for t in steps],
+        "applicable_rules": applicable["rules"],
+        "subscribed_rulebooks": applicable["subscribed_rulebooks"],
+        "applicable_rules_truncated": applicable["truncated"],
+    }
+
+
 async def create_milestone(
     project_id: int,
     title: str,
     description: str = "",
+    body: str = "",
     status: str = "active",
 ) -> dict:
     """Create a milestone within a Scribe project.
 
+    A milestone can serve as a plan container — put the design/intent in `body`
+    and track each step as a child task (create_task(milestone_id=...)). For a
+    fresh plan, prefer start_planning, which seeds the body template + surfaces
+    the project's rules.
+
     Args:
         project_id: The project this milestone belongs to (required).
         title: Milestone name (required).
-        description: Optional description of what this milestone covers.
+        description: Optional one-line summary of what this milestone covers.
+        body: Optional plan/design (markdown) — the milestone's full plan text.
         status: active (default) or done.
     """
     uid = current_user_id()
@@ -47,6 +90,7 @@ async def create_milestone(
         project_id=project_id,
         title=title,
         description=description or None,
+        body=body or None,
         status=status,
     )
     return milestone.to_dict()
@@ -57,6 +101,7 @@ async def update_milestone(
     milestone_id: int,
     title: str = "",
     description: str = "",
+    body: str = "",
     status: str = "",
     order_index: int = -1,
 ) -> dict:
@@ -67,7 +112,8 @@ async def update_milestone(
             ownership scoping is enforced by user_id at the service layer).
         milestone_id: ID of the milestone to update.
         title: New title, or omit to leave unchanged.
-        description: New description, or omit to leave unchanged.
+        description: New one-line summary, or omit to leave unchanged.
+        body: New plan/design (markdown), or omit to leave unchanged.
         status: New status — active or done.
         order_index: New display position (0-based). Use -1 to leave unchanged.
     """
@@ -77,6 +123,8 @@ async def update_milestone(
         fields["title"] = title
     if description:
         fields["description"] = description
+    if body:
+        fields["body"] = body
     if status:
         fields["status"] = status
     if order_index >= 0:
@@ -101,6 +149,7 @@ async def delete_milestone(milestone_id: int) -> dict:
 def register(mcp) -> None:
     for fn in (
         list_milestones,
+        get_milestone,
         create_milestone,
         update_milestone,
         delete_milestone,

src/scribe/mcp/tools/tasks.py

@@ -233,14 +233,24 @@ async def add_task_log(task_id: int, content: str) -> dict:
 async def start_planning(project_id: int, title: str) -> dict:
     """Begin a plan in Scribe (the preferred home for plans — not a local .md file).
 
-    Creates a plan-task (a task with kind=plan) seeded with a plan template under
-    the given project, and returns it together with the project's applicable
-    Rulebook rules and brief context. Maintain the plan afterwards with the normal
-    task tools (update_task to edit the body, add_task_log to record progress).
+    Creates a MILESTONE that IS the plan: its `body` is seeded with a design
+    template (Goal/Approach/Verification) under the given project, and the call
+    returns it together with the project's applicable Rulebook rules and brief
+    context. The milestone is the plan container — the individual steps live as
+    first-class child tasks under it, not as checkboxes in the body.
+
+    Afterwards:
+    - Edit the plan/design with update_milestone(milestone_id, body=...).
+    - Create each step as its own task with create_task(milestone_id=<this id>);
+      track it with status + add_task_log. Do NOT put steps as checkboxes in the
+      milestone body.
+
+    (kind=plan tasks are retired — use this instead. Existing historical
+    plan-tasks remain readable but new planning goes through milestones.)
 
     Args:
         project_id: The project this plan is for.
-        title: A short title for the plan.
+        title: A short title for the plan/milestone.
     """
     uid = current_user_id()
     return await planning_svc.start_planning(

src/scribe/models/milestone.py

@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ class Milestone(Base, TimestampMixin, SoftDeleteMixin):
     project_id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, ForeignKey("projects.id", ondelete="CASCADE"))
     title: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(Text, default="")
     description: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
+    # The plan: design/intent/purpose (markdown). The milestone is the plan
+    # container; its steps live as first-class child tasks (milestone_id), not
+    # as checkboxes in this body. `description` stays the one-line summary.
+    body: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
     status: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(Text, default="active")
     order_index: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, default=0)
 
@@ -23,6 +27,7 @@ class Milestone(Base, TimestampMixin, SoftDeleteMixin):
             "project_id": self.project_id,
             "title": self.title,
             "description": self.description,
+            "body": self.body,
             "status": self.status,
             "order_index": self.order_index,
             "created_at": self.created_at.isoformat(),

src/scribe/routes/milestones.py

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ async def create_milestone_route(project_id: int):
         project_id,
         title=data["title"],
         description=data.get("description"),
+        body=data.get("body"),
         order_index=data.get("order_index", 0),
         status=status,
     )
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ async def update_milestone_route(project_id: int, milestone_id: int):
     if milestone is None:
         return not_found("Milestone")
     data = await request.get_json()
-    allowed = {"title", "description", "status", "order_index"}
+    allowed = {"title", "description", "body", "status", "order_index"}
     fields = {k: v for k, v in data.items() if k in allowed}
     if "status" in fields and fields["status"] not in ("active", "done"):
         return jsonify({"error": "status must be 'active' or 'done'"}), 400

src/scribe/services/milestones.py

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ async def create_milestone(
     project_id: int,
     title: str,
     description: str | None = None,
+    body: str | None = None,
     order_index: int = 0,
     status: str = "active",
 ) -> Milestone:
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ async def create_milestone(
             project_id=project_id,
             title=title,
             description=description,
+            body=body,
             status=status,
             order_index=order_index,
         )

src/scribe/services/planning.py

@@ -1,31 +1,37 @@
-"""Planning service — start_planning aggregates plan-task creation with the
-project's applicable Rulebook rules and a little context, so planning happens
-in Scribe and rules surface at the planning moment.
+"""Planning service — start_planning creates a MILESTONE seeded as the plan
+container, surfacing the project's applicable Rulebook rules at the planning
+moment so rules land before any work.
+
+The milestone IS the plan: its `body` holds the design/intent (Goal/Approach/
+Verification), and the individual steps live as first-class child tasks
+(milestone_id) rather than checkboxes crammed into one body. The legacy
+kind=plan task is retired going forward — start_planning never creates one.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from scribe.services import milestones as milestones_svc
 from scribe.services import notes as notes_svc
 from scribe.services import projects as projects_svc
 from scribe.services import rulebooks as rulebooks_svc
 
+# The plan body template — design only. Steps are NOT checkboxes here; each
+# step becomes its own child task under this milestone (status, work-logs,
+# priority of its own).
 PLAN_TEMPLATE = """## Goal
 
 ## Approach
 
-## Steps
-- [ ]
-
 ## Verification
 """
 
 
 async def start_planning(user_id: int, project_id: int, title: str) -> dict:
-    """Create a plan-task seeded with the plan template and return it with the
+    """Create a milestone seeded as a plan container and return it with the
     project's applicable rules + brief context.
 
     Returns:
         {
-          "task": <task dict>,
+          "milestone": <milestone dict>,
           "applicable_rules": [...],
           "subscribed_rulebooks": [...],
           "applicable_rules_truncated": bool,
@@ -37,13 +43,12 @@ async def start_planning(user_id: int, project_id: int, title: str) -> dict:
     if project is None:
         raise ValueError(f"project {project_id} not found")
 
-    note = await notes_svc.create_note(
+    milestone = await milestones_svc.create_milestone(
         user_id,
+        project_id=project_id,
         title=title,
         body=PLAN_TEMPLATE,
-        status="todo",
-        task_kind="plan",
-        project_id=project_id,
+        status="active",
     )
 
     applicable = await rulebooks_svc.get_applicable_rules(
@@ -54,7 +59,7 @@ async def start_planning(user_id: int, project_id: int, title: str) -> dict:
     )
 
     return {
-        "task": note.to_dict(),
+        "milestone": milestone.to_dict(),
         "applicable_rules": applicable["rules"],
         "subscribed_rulebooks": applicable["subscribed_rulebooks"],
         "applicable_rules_truncated": applicable["truncated"],

tests/test_mcp_tool_milestones.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import pytest
 
 from scribe.mcp._context import _user_id_ctx
 from scribe.mcp.tools.milestones import (
-    list_milestones, create_milestone, update_milestone,
+    list_milestones, get_milestone, create_milestone, update_milestone,
 )
 
 
@@ -57,6 +57,64 @@ async def test_create_milestone_empty_description_becomes_none():
     assert mock.call_args.kwargs["description"] is None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_create_milestone_passes_body_through():
+    """The milestone-as-plan body is forwarded to the service."""
+    m = _fake_ms(id=5)
+    mock = AsyncMock(return_value=m)
+    with patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.milestones_svc.create_milestone", mock):
+        await create_milestone(project_id=1, title="t", body="## Goal\n\nship")
+    assert mock.call_args.kwargs["body"] == "## Goal\n\nship"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_create_milestone_empty_body_becomes_none():
+    m = _fake_ms()
+    mock = AsyncMock(return_value=m)
+    with patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.milestones_svc.create_milestone", mock):
+        await create_milestone(project_id=1, title="t", body="")
+    assert mock.call_args.kwargs["body"] is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_update_milestone_sends_body():
+    m = _fake_ms()
+    mock = AsyncMock(return_value=m)
+    with patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.milestones_svc.update_milestone", mock):
+        await update_milestone(project_id=1, milestone_id=5, body="new plan")
+    assert mock.call_args.kwargs == {"body": "new plan"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_milestone_returns_body_steps_and_rules():
+    m = _fake_ms(id=5, project_id=3, body="## Goal")
+    step = MagicMock()
+    step.to_dict.return_value = {"id": 9, "title": "step 1", "status": "todo"}
+    applicable = {"rules": [{"id": 1, "title": "r"}], "truncated": False,
+                  "subscribed_rulebooks": [{"id": 2, "title": "rb"}]}
+    with patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.milestones_svc.get_milestone",
+               AsyncMock(return_value=m)), \
+         patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.milestones_svc.get_milestone_progress",
+               AsyncMock(return_value={"total": 1, "completed": 0, "pct": 0.0})), \
+         patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.notes_svc.list_notes",
+               AsyncMock(return_value=([step], 1))), \
+         patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.rulebooks_svc.get_applicable_rules",
+               AsyncMock(return_value=applicable)):
+        out = await get_milestone(milestone_id=5)
+    assert out["milestone"]["body"] == "## Goal"
+    assert out["milestone"]["total"] == 1
+    assert out["steps"] == [{"id": 9, "title": "step 1", "status": "todo"}]
+    assert out["applicable_rules"] == [{"id": 1, "title": "r"}]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_milestone_raises_when_not_found():
+    with patch("scribe.mcp.tools.milestones.milestones_svc.get_milestone",
+               AsyncMock(return_value=None)):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="milestone 999 not found"):
+            await get_milestone(milestone_id=999)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_update_milestone_only_sends_non_default_fields():
     m = _fake_ms()

tests/test_mcp_tool_planning.py

@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ def _bind_user():
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_start_planning_tool_delegates_to_service():
-    payload = {"task": {"id": 5}, "applicable_rules": [], "subscribed_rulebooks": [],
+    payload = {"milestone": {"id": 5}, "applicable_rules": [], "subscribed_rulebooks": [],
                "applicable_rules_truncated": False, "project_goal": "", "open_task_count": 0}
     with patch("scribe.mcp.tools.tasks.planning_svc.start_planning",
                AsyncMock(return_value=payload)) as mock:
         from scribe.mcp.tools.tasks import start_planning
         out = await start_planning(project_id=3, title="Plan it")
-    assert out["task"]["id"] == 5
+    assert out["milestone"]["id"] == 5
     assert mock.call_args.kwargs == {"user_id": 7, "project_id": 3, "title": "Plan it"}
 
 

tests/test_services_planning.py

@@ -4,17 +4,19 @@ import pytest
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_start_planning_creates_plan_task_and_returns_rules():
-    fake_note = MagicMock()
-    fake_note.to_dict.return_value = {"id": 5, "title": "Plan it", "task_kind": "plan"}
+async def test_start_planning_creates_milestone_and_returns_rules():
+    # start_planning now creates a MILESTONE (the plan container), not a
+    # kind=plan task; its body holds the seeded design template.
+    fake_milestone = MagicMock()
+    fake_milestone.to_dict.return_value = {"id": 5, "title": "Plan it", "status": "active"}
     applicable = {
         "rules": [{"id": 1, "title": "dev is home", "statement": "...",
                    "topic_title": "git-workflow", "rulebook_title": "FabledSword family"}],
         "truncated": False,
         "subscribed_rulebooks": [{"id": 2, "title": "FabledSword family"}],
     }
-    with patch("scribe.services.planning.notes_svc.create_note",
-               AsyncMock(return_value=fake_note)) as mock_create, \
+    with patch("scribe.services.planning.milestones_svc.create_milestone",
+               AsyncMock(return_value=fake_milestone)) as mock_create, \
          patch("scribe.services.planning.rulebooks_svc.get_applicable_rules",
                AsyncMock(return_value=applicable)), \
          patch("scribe.services.planning.notes_svc.list_notes",
@@ -24,14 +26,13 @@ async def test_start_planning_creates_plan_task_and_returns_rules():
         from scribe.services.planning import start_planning
         out = await start_planning(user_id=7, project_id=3, title="Plan it")
 
-    # Created a plan-task (status set => task, kind=plan)
+    # Created a milestone with the seeded plan-body template.
     kwargs = mock_create.call_args.kwargs
-    assert kwargs["task_kind"] == "plan"
-    assert kwargs["status"] == "todo"
     assert kwargs["project_id"] == 3
+    assert kwargs["status"] == "active"
     assert "## Goal" in kwargs["body"]  # seeded template
     # Returned shape
-    assert out["task"]["id"] == 5
+    assert out["milestone"]["id"] == 5
     assert out["applicable_rules"][0]["title"] == "dev is home"
     assert out["subscribed_rulebooks"] == [{"id": 2, "title": "FabledSword family"}]
     assert out["open_task_count"] == 3